Technology and Environmental Sustainability

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Technology and Environmental Sustainability

In my opinion, we live in the greatest country there is; there is no other country like it, but that does not mean that we are the most advanced country or that we have everything other countries have. Despite the developments and progress that the United States possesses, numerous countries across the globe possess advancements and developments that are far superior. A particular illustration of this involves the technological prowess witnessed in countries such as Japan and China. Even though the United States has been noted for its involvement in consistent progression as far as research and development is concerned, the countries in question have proved superior as an outcome of their technological developments as well as their ecological benefits as far as the environment is involved. For instance, in China, the progressive relationship between technology and environmental sustainability has been illustrated by its consistent engagement in the development of superior clean energy, specifically solar power technology. As one of the leading producers of solar power technology, China has been capable of distributing its panels and means of production to the United States and other countries across the world. Aside from this, the invention of battery-powered vehicles has been consistently illustrated by Japan based on the developments of automotive giants such as Toyota. While the United States may prove sturdy in its technological progressions, it does not adequately manage to exhibit eco-friendly approaches when compared to other countries.

One of the biggest differences between this country and other ones for example as in Fuji, Japan, they are on the cusp on finishing their battery- powered cars. These cars take away the belts and gears of a transmission, as well as thousands of other parts used in conventional cars. Built-up providers are anxious, particularly in Japan, where automaking is a mainstay of the economy, and where modern marvels have been deserted beforehand by innovative change. Japan is scrambling to guarantee it has a future in an electric-auto world. Toyota, the nation’s biggest automaker, spearheaded gas electric cross breeds yet has for some time been suspicious about shoppers’ hunger for autos that keep running on batteries alone. Under strain from remote opponents like Tesla, the organization says it is building up a bunch of new electric models.

The Japanese government has made dealing with the move to innovative vehicles a need, however it does have a faulty approach needs center. It has wagered enormous on hydrogen energy units, an elective innovation to module rechargeable batteries that is attempting to win across the board bolster. The dread is that indeed, Japan will miss a major mechanical move. Batteries are ending up more intense even as their costs tumble. China, the world’s greatest vehicle advertise, is wagering enthusiastic about electric autos. France and Britain have declared they will eliminate non-renewable energy source consuming vehicles with an end goal to battle environmental change. Their spotlight has rather been on creating autos that concentrate vitality from installed hydrogen power modules. Energy for that innovation has blurred in different nations, to a limited extent since it would require immense and costly new framework for conveying hydrogen to drivers. Japan is turning into an undeniably detached hydrogen supporter. While all of this seems like an amazing opportunity, and it is, there is one big down fall when it comes down to it and for the people of Japan. In the long run, it needs robots to complete 100 percent of the work implying that when electric autos transform transmissions into exhibition hall pieces, there might be couple of human employments left to lose.

Despite these limitations, the United States has expressed a significant inclination towards the development and application of self-driving cars. Aside from battery-powered cars, autonomous cars have evolved into a considerable and essential aspect of American society as far as technological advancements are involved. Over the past few years, technological giants such as Google have applied their research and development resources towards the creation of cars that can actually drive themselves. While the enhancements in question may provide the respective organizations with the capacity to dominate a new automobile-based market, the benefits that these advancements offer incline towards the sustainability of human life and the creation of better transportation alternatives for people. A reason for this is due to the way self-driving cars are less reliant on the input of a human driver. In most situations, the occurrence of accidents and other unsustainable implications arising from vehicular paraphernalia has been associated with human error (Bougdah, Sharples, Smith, and Deane 199). Essentially, human beings are responsible for the recurrence of accidents, which clearly pose an impact on the rate of mortality and morbidity among members of the country’s population. In this respect, self-driving cars represent a viable and technological solution capable of warding off the consequences associated with human flaws and imperfections.

Nonetheless, the pursuit of this level of technology, while fundamental to the progression of the society, recurrently ignores the implications that autonomous vehicles may pose on the health and sustainability of the environment. Accordingly, the demand for electricity, the increased weight, and the computers applied in self-driving cars are considerable contributors to greenhouse gas releases and massive energy utilization. Apparently, the transformative technological solutions that are integrated within self-driving vehicles may contribute to these implications if better eco-friendly resolutions are not studied and applied. Apparently, these types of vehicles often possess computing and sensor systems in an effort to operate effectively. In the end, autonomous vehicles are capable of transporting the respective passengers across long distances without endangering their lives via collisions and accidents. With systems such as Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation frameworks, multiple camera systems, computing structures, radar, sonar, LiDAR, and support frameworks, autonomous vehicles are more susceptible to the reduction of environmental sustainability hence rendering them ineffective as eco-friendly technological solutions for the transportation industry (Bougdah, Sharples, Smith, and Deane 62). After all, these attributes, which are imperative for the self-driving vehicle, while effective, actually expend significant energy and enable the emission of greenhouse gases further affecting efforts aimed at the protection of the environment from damages caused by conventional vehicles.

In this respect, participation in the development of autonomous vehicles should focus on the inclusion of energy-efficient approaches. Interestingly, with the extensive nature of technological research and development, it is actually possible to implement technology-based solutions that also contribute to the health and sustainability of the environment. Aspects such as wireless data transfers, which are needed for navigation maps, comprise a considerable contributor to the energy used by these vehicles as well as increased release of greenhouse gases. In such settings, an energy-efficient measure would involve the change of resolution utilized in the navigation maps. Rather than rely on high-definition images, focus should gravitate towards the use of standard-definition images, which will definitely result in the deduction of greenhouse emissions in contrast to the use of high-definition navigation maps. Another technological resolution will involve the miniaturization of computing and sensing elements. By developing more compact and small-scale structures, it will be possible for self-driving cars to actually expend less energy and offer more environmental benefits in the long-term. Based on the respective approaches, it is apparent that technology can also be utilized in an effort to achieve environmental sustainability aside from its impact in the progression of the society.

Another incredible idea that we have here in the United States that is more popular and more advance in another country is Solar Power Panels. The country with the leading solar panels is China. China is leading the world in solar PV generation, with the total installed capacity exceeding 100 GW. China is the world’s biggest market for both photovoltaics and sun powered warm vitality. What’s more, over the most recent couple of years, the greater part of the aggregate PV increases originated from the nation. Sunlight based power in the People’s Republic of China is one of the greatest businesses and the appropriations by the administration have helped in cutting down the cost of sun oriented power, in China, as well as the entire world. China’s quick development of sustainable power source has since gotten features all over the world. It has been built over an old coalmine, which throughout the years had loaded with water. Sungrow, the Chinese firm that planned the sun based plant, says its framework naturally screens current and voltage created by the cells, alongside dampness, which can influence their productivity. Because of the bottomless water surrounding, cleaning the boards – an unending undertaking for sun-powered agriculturists – will be less demanding, as per those behind the office.

While solar panels provide countries such as China with the ability to engage in the application of clean and sustainable energy, they have also been largely affected by the present state of affairs in the United States. As an outcome of the federal regulations passed by the Trump administration earlier this year, the United States may actually be unable to attain the considerable level of clean energy illustrated in countries such as China. According to the International Trade Commission, it was established that solar-panel imports from the Republic of China imposed a significant threat on manufacturers in the United States (Bougdah, Sharples, Smith, and Deane 102). As an outcome, proposals were forwarded regarding the imposition of tariffs on the respective imports. Hence, towards the end of January, the Trump administration implemented and sanctioned a tariff regulation on solar panels imported from the Chinese in an effort to secure American occupations. Despite these assumptions, it has been posited that the respective law will actually lead to the layoff of people that work in the panel installation market due to increase in product costs. Consequently, the tariff will enhance the expenses associated with solar panels in the United States further decreasing the competitive nature of the resource in comparison with fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. Essentially, the tariffs on solar panels will actually contribute to a decrease in sustainability if it is not resolved.

The implementation of the tariff regulations for Chinese solar panel imports will greatly affect America’s need for sustainability of its environment as well as the community. Aside from the threat imposed via the increased costs of solar panels, the implementation of the respective laws will expose the United States to negative consequences associated with the environment. As mentioned, the lack of competition between solar energy and other fossil fuels such as coal will establish a considerable inclination towards the utilization of the latter despite the pessimistic implications derived from the resource. Even though fossil fuels have been linked to the causation of global warming, the Trump administration’s passage of the tariff regulation will undoubtedly roll back regulations centered on climate change, which have been instrumental in enhancing its environment. Interestingly, the predisposition and implementation of the law in question comes after Trump’s campaign promises, which were based on the revival of the coal mining industry and the production of fossil fuels as an approach towards the creation of occupations for American citizens (Bougdah, Sharples, Smith, and Deane 167). Regardless of the intention expressed, the implementation of the laws will definitely influence inclination towards the respective promises hence exposing the country to decreased environmental sustainability.

Nonetheless, it is impossible to ignore the extent to which technological progress has allowed countries across the globe to achieve outcomes associated or based on environmental sustainability and environmental protection. With the development of battery-powered cars and the widespread integration of solar power technology, countries such as Japan, China, and the United States have been able to advance themselves towards the creation and establishment of eco-friendly environments and contexts. In addition to this, technological progress has facilitated the development of self-driving vehicles, which have proven to be a positive force within the sector of transportation. With companies such as Google and Tesla leading the charge, focus has shifted towards the creation and development of vehicles capable of transporting people and averting hazardous situations that normally arise from human error. However, with the notion of environmental sustainability in mind, the development of these advancements has also necessitated the implementation of measures and approaches that are eco-friendly and beneficial to the environment in the long-term. On a personal level it is amazing to see how things are in different parts of the world and how other countries makes such amazing advancements, but it is even greater knowing that the people of our country also use the ideas of others and their failures and successes to help develop a lot of these ideas and make them even greater for us. One of the biggest things that you can see here in Miami are Solar panels. Since coming from China, they have had an amazing effect on communities everywhere. If more and more people started getting solar panels, we could be living in a more eco friendly planet.

Works Cited

Bougdah, Hocine, Stephen Sharples, Peter F. Smith, and Joseph Deane. Environment, Technology and Sustainability. Taylor & Francis, 2018.